Cycling-Amador takes Costa Rica's first Giro win

Sat, 19 May 17:52:00 2012

Andrey Amador earned
himself a niche in cycling's history books on Saturday when he
claimed Costa Rica's first ever stage win in the Giro d'Italia
in a tough mountain stage, while a late surge by Ryder Hesjedal
recaptured the overall lead for the Canadian.

As temperatures plummeted to five degrees celsius and rain
began to fall at the summit of the stage's final 27 kilometre
Alpine climb of Cervinia, Amador fended off fellow breakaways
Jan Barta of the Czech Republic and Italian Alessandro de
Marchi.

Amador's triumph was both a first for Costa Rica and for the
25-year-old Movistar rider since he turned pro in 2009.

Meanwhile, Hesjedal staged a late lone attack from the
peloton of around a dozen favourites to regain the lead he held
for three days earlier in the race.

"I had to use a lot of energy to get this win, but it's a
dream to get my first ever win in the Giro and in a big mountain
stage too," Amador, who placed third after forming part of a
breakaway on stage 12 in the Apennine hills, told reporters.

"I had to calculate very carefully because I only had a
little strength left when it came to the last few kilometres.

"I was really close two days ago and I wasn't happy about
missing so narrowly, but now I can dedicate a win to my family
and my girlfriend Laura.

"I've worked harder than ever this year to get the
victories, and it's finally paid off."

Further back, double Giro winner Ivan Basso of Italy set his
Liquigas team to shred the group of favourites on the Cervinia
climb but neither he nor overnight leader Joaquim Rodríguez
could answer when Garmin-Barracuda pro Ryder Hesjedal blasted
away.

However, Hesjedal said that when he had attacked his aim was
not to try and regain the pink leader's jersey, but more to
gauge his rivals form.

"I just wanted to put in an effort and test the guys," the
former MTB-er told reporters. "I felt very comfortable on the
last climb.

"I knew that the course flattened out a little bit at the
top so I figured I'd go for it. It's a nice bonus to be back in
the jersey."

Asked how long he can remain in the pink, Hesjedal replied,
"I'm just enjoying this Giro, I'm just going out and racing."

While world champion Mark Cavendish of Great Britain
completed the Giro's first major high mountain stage more than
32 minutes down on Amador, two other top sprinters, Matt Goss of
Australia and his compatriot Mark Renshaw made planned abandons
before racing started today.

At the start of the stage in Cherasco, a minute's silence
was held to honour the victims of a bomb attack in Brindisi,
southern Italy early this morning.